It's Mucus plug and not a sign of labor. It's a sign that labor is likely coming soon! The mucus plug is exactly what it sounds like. It is a concentration of mucus that is deposited in the opening of the cervix to block germs and bacteria from entering the uterus. During pregnancy, the mucus is clear and would look much like a normal vaginal discharge. However, as the cervix begins to efface and blood is released, there may be some blood deposited onto the mucus plug. As your cervix dilates you will begin to lose the plug, either in bits of stringy, blood tinted mucus over a period of time, or all at once. This can happen up to two weeks before labor actually begins. The loss of the mucus plug should not be confused with a woman’s bloody show which occurs during labor as a woman begins bleeding prior to delivery. The bloody show will be different than the mucus plug as it is mostly blood and very little or no mucus.